MIDA Affordable Housing Sold Out in Minutes, Illegal Resales Lead to Arrests

IHR
1 minute ago
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MIDA's 627 affordable apartments in Azerbaijan sold out in just 10 minutes, but the rush was marred by technical crashes and unfair sales practices. Learn why police arrested 12 people for illegal resales and the calls for a transparent, live housing lottery to ensure fairness for young families.

On December 3, Azerbaijan's State Housing Construction Agency (MIDA) offered 627 affordable apartments in Baku, Sumgait, and other cities. The online sale, scheduled to run until December 12, ended in a mere 10 minutes.

This quick sellout was almost immediately met with complaints about technical problems. People trying to buy apartments reported that the Preferential Housing portal crashed due to the high number of users.

Tech blogger Farid Pardashunas stated that the system errors made fair competition impossible. Critics believe the current sales process is unfair and needs to be changed. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, some suggest a transparent, live lottery supervised by civil society members and journalists. Public dissatisfaction with these sales isn't new. Previous sales have been canceled, and there have been arrests before.

Arrests Made for Illegal Sales

At the same time as the sale, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) announced that 12 people in Baku were arrested for allegedly trying to illegally sell and rent MIDA apartments. These individuals were advertising the apartments on social media for resale or rent. The names of those arrested haven't been released.

About MIDA Housing

MIDA was created in 2016 to provide affordable housing. This housing is meant for young families (under 35) and comes with good mortgage terms: a small down payment (10%), a low annual interest rate (4%), and a repayment period of up to 30 years.